After two series spanning 125 episodes and one Netflix movie, Deadline reports that Vince Gilligan‘s time in the “Breaking Bad” universe is over. Speaking on the “Better Call Saul” virtual TCA panel with co-showrunner Peter Gould, Gilligan confided to the audience that the pair have no plans to return to the world of the AMC shows.
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“You can’t keep putting all your money on red 21,” said Gilligan. “I feel like we probably pushed it doing a spinoff to “Breaking Bad” [but] I could not be more happy with the results. Then I did “El Camino” and I’m very proud of that too. But I think I’m starting to sense you’ve got to know when to leave the party, you don’t want to be the guy with a lampshade on your head.” “Better Call Saul” comes to an end on August 15 after six seasons and 63 episodes. That’s after 62 episodes of “Breaking Bad,” and the 2019 spinoff movie “El Camino.”
Is Gilligan confident he has no more stories to tell in the “Breaking Bad” world? Yes, but never say never, although he’d rather work on something new. “I don’t have any plans right now to do anything more in this universe,” he continued. “I know I probably gave the same answer at the end of “Breaking Bad.” I gotta prove to myself that I got something else in me. I’m not a one trick pony, that’s what I’m hoping.”
Gilligan’s comments come fresh off industry buzz that he’s shopping around a new series, with up to 9 different networks and platforms seriously interested. So, is the new show in the same vein of Gilligan’s previous work? Yes, but not “Breaking Bad.” Instead, this new drama project aligns more with Gilligan’s tenure on “The X-Files.” Don’t expect a hard sci-fi show, though. Deadline offers this description of the series: “described as a blended, grounded genre drama, the new series also is being compared to “The Twilight Zone.” It is said to be set in our world while putting a tweak on it, focusing on people and exploring the human condition in an unexpected, surprising way.”
While it’s sad that “Better Call Saul” will be the last “Breaking Bad” story Gilligan ever tells, a return to fare like “The X-Files” should still excite everyone. Gilligan earned multiple Emmy nominations for his work on the Fox show, and solidified his talents as a TV writer. And more power to Vince Gilligan anyway: he’s invested a lot of time into the “Breaking Bad” universe and deserves to test his mettle as showrunner in an entirely new world.